Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you click on them, but this is at no extra cost to you. Read our privacy policy for more information.
Reading is fun for people of all ages, and if you like to read physical books with real pages, then you will probably be interested in our list of the 12 best ways to get free books by mail in 2023.
Although there are millions of free electronic publications online, there’s nothing like the comfort and relaxation you experience when you read an engrossing tale printed on real paper made from actual trees.
For some people, an electronic book just doesn’t cut it because they like to get cozy while turning the pages of the latest best-seller.
So if you like to hold a real book in your greedy little hands while you relax on the couch, then you might want to consider joining some of the programs mentioned in this article.
The good news is that it doesn’t really matter what sorts of topics you like because you can get all different kinds of books for you or your children for absolutely no cost at all.
So let’s take a look at 12 of the best ways to get free books by mail in 2023.
Table of Contents
1. Free Book Charities
The first way to get free books by mail is by signing up for services that are charitable in nature.
These programs also pay for all of the delivery costs involved.
These services supply books for both children and adults.
However, many of them require that you reside within certain areas in order to take advantage of their programs.
Imagination Library
If you love to read books, this resource is a fabulous place for you to get all different kinds of books for your children.
This non-profit organization focuses on promoting childhood literacy by giving free books to children under the age of five.
Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library because she loves to read and wants to see every child also get an opportunity to read.
Her desire is to empower preschool kids to develop a strong passion for reading, even if a child’s parents can’t afford to buy them any books.
Expanding the Program
So far, this organization has sent over a million children’s books to kids all over the world for absolutely no charge at all.
These charitable activities were possible because Dolly extended the program to other places around the globe.
Because of this, her organization has also been able to distribute books in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada.
However, she doesn’t do it alone.
She also has assistance from local communities and their partners.
Some of the local entities that assist with this program include hometown libraries, service organizations, preschool programs, and many other types of groups.
If you live in an area that is eligible for this program, all you need to do is just to sign up, and you are eligible to get a book for free every single month.
This program asks for nothing at all, and they will deliver the book to your home free of charge.
This is arguably the easiest way to get free books by mail.
To learn more about this wonderful program, simply go to their website and check to see if it is available where you live.
Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation
This wonderful service works with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
If you reside in Tennessee, the state will mail you a free children’s book every month.
The state works in a beautiful partnership with the Dollywood Foundation.
These two organization work together hand-in-hand so that more young children will have lots of chances to learn.
The program also accepts donations at its website.
Read Conmigo
If you live in Texas, Florida, or California, this is another good program that will send you free books.
In 2010, it was established by Infinity Insurance as a bilingual literacy program that supplies free books in English and Spanish.
This program offers all different kinds of books, and because of this, it’s a great deal for almost everybody.
If you would like to grow your children’s passions for reading books, this would be an awesome program for you to join.
So far, the program has been able to send books to well over 150,000 families.
In addition, you can access the program’s online resources (like bilingual learning activities and educational tools), which are available to everybody, regardless of location.
Better yet, with this program, you can read free eBooks that are compatible with certain Android devices, Amazon Kindle, and Apple iOS.
Tens of thousands of people have already signed up for this program since it began back in 2011.
2. Book Swapping Clubs
The next best way to get free books sent to you is to join a book swapping club.
Book swapping is an excellent way to turn your used books that you no longer want into more free books to read.
These groups usually work by trading one of your used books for a book that you want.
PaperBackSwap
This website is really amazing place where you can get lots of free books by mail.
It is one of the largest book swapping clubs with millions of books available for swapping at almost any time.
Like many of the other book exchange programs, this platform offers a wide variety of books for your children.
Although you don’t pay for any of the books that you receive, you will have to pay the shipping fees for the books you send to other members of the community.
Titletrader
Titletrader is a free service that lets you exchange books with other group members.
If you have lots of used books in your basement or attic, you aren’t alone.
Titletrader is the place to swap all of your used books for such things like other books, used DVDs and used CDs.
Just sign up and start posting your used books that you want to get rid of so that you will qualify for free stuff.
BookMooch
This is yet another community for exchanging used books.
It lets you give away any of your old books that you have already read so that you can exchange them for new books.
Every time you give somebody a book, you will earn a point that you can use to get any book you want from another member of the group.
There is no cost to join or use this service.
Your only expense is paying for the postage costs whenever you send your books to other group members.
This site also asks that you give away at least one book for every two books that you receive.
3. Free Books For Reviews
If you like to read books and write reviews about them, then you will probably be interested in this convenient way to get free books by mail.
Basically, these services and programs let you request free books to be sent to your home by mail.
Once you receive them, you read them and then write a review and publish it.
This is done in order to help struggling authors receive more promotion for their work.
LibraryThing
The first one of these types of programs is LibraryThing.
With this program, authors will send you a free hard copy of their book in exchange for a review.
If you like reviewing books and would like to join, then simply add your name to the request list for the books that interest you the most.
However, you should always remember that this isn’t a guaranteed service.
This is because sometimes there will not be enough free books to give away to everyone who wants a copy.
However, if you request at least ten books or more, your chances of getting a free copy will increase exponentially.
At any given time, you can expect to find about a hundred or so books on the list of free books available.
NetGalley
This is one of the great services that helps influential reviewers discover and recommend new books to other readers.
In other words, this is a website that is meant to help books succeed and reach a much larger audience.
Here, you get a free access to an enormous list of review copies that you can read and review.
What this platform does is link publishers and authors to popular influencers in order to help their books perform better in the marketplace.
These influencers include bloggers, booksellers, librarians, and media professionals, among others.
If you happen to be a powerful influencer, then you merely sign in to NetGalley and start requesting books for free.
However, like all of the other programs in this section, you have to read and review all of the books that you request.
Although most of the copies are in digital form, you can still get a free paperback book by mail every once in a while.
GoodReads
If you love to read novels, then this may be just the place for you to get a lot more of them.
In fact, if you are a really passionate reader, chances are that you will already know about this magnificent site.
However, if you have never heard of it before, then it’s a website I would highly recommend for you to check out thoroughly.
This site will give you a massive amount of book recommendations depending on the types of books that you have read before.
One of the best things about this site is that you pay absolutely nothing to sign up.
GoodReads also has a “giveaways” section.
Here, authors will give away books and ask for you to review the book after you have read it completely.
However, just like LibraryThing, there are more usually more requests for these free books than the number of copies that are available.
That’s why it might take time for you to get a free book, but you will usually get something sooner or later if you are persistent enough.
So basically, the more times you enter these free giveaways, the better your chances are of receiving a free book.
Generally speaking, if you join several of these giveaways, you can usually get at least one free book each month.
Fresh Fiction
If you don’t mind writing reviews, then this is yet another excellent program that you can check out.
It offers fiction books for readers of all ages.
As long as you review all of the books that you read, this program will provide you with free books for you to enjoy at your leisure.
However, you should be aware that there is a catch with this platform.
This is because they don’t accept just any living person with a pulse as a reviewer.
They require you to take a comprehensive exam in order for you to qualify as a review writer for this reading program.
After you qualify with this program, you will receive free access to dozens of online books.
In addition, you can also receive physical books delivered conveniently by mail to your place of residence.
You should also know that one of the best things about this site is that they always have lots of books for you to review.
There are also hundreds of children’s books as well.
Enchanted Book Promotions
This company provides promotional services for authors and book publishers.
This is done by spreading the word about selected books by publishing reviews.
By doing this, many readers will get a much better chance to find out about all of the exciting new books that are available.
The readers that use this service post book reviews in various blogs.
Users can also post book reviews on Goodreads or Amazon.
After users perform one or more of these tasks, they can then receive free books in the mail.
They always update their information in order to make absolutely sure that all of the users online can see a current list of books that are available for review.
LibraryThing Early Reviewers
The LibraryThing Early Reviewers program is the next program on our list of the best ways to get free books by mail.
Do you like to read brand spanking new books and then write reviews about them?
If this describes you, then this is a wonderful opportunity for you.
This is because you have a chance to read new books before anyone else.
The way that the program works is actually quite simple.
First, it matches all of the incoming requests with all of the free advance book copies that are available.
Next, it sends these books to the readers who have requested them.
You may not get a book that you’ve asked for because of limited supplies.
However, the more you request, the better your chances of getting a free book.
However, like all of the other programs mentioned in this section of the article, you have to write reviews about the free books that you receive in the mail.
OnlineBookClub
This opportunity is yet another way that you can get free books by writing reviews.
Better yet, not only do you get to keep the hard copies of the books that you receive in the mail, but you also get paid cash to write reviews after you have written your first one.
So this program will actually give you more than just a free book if you participate.
In addition, your review doesn’t have to be positive.
It just needs to be short and honest.
Lola’s Blog Tours
Similar to Enchanted Book Promotions, Lola’s Blog Tours is a program that offers a variety of promotional services for authors.
This service provides a bigger audience for new books.
This program works by giving reviewers copies of upcoming books so that they can read and review them.
All you have to do is review the book and then post your review on your own personal blog or account, using Goodreads or Amazon.
So if you are interested in this program, you can view all of their open review opportunities and see any of the available titles are of interest to you.
4. Classified Ad Services
So let’s now take a look at another cool set of options that will provide you with even more free books.
There are lots of individuals who have tons of old stuff laying around the house.
Fortunately, many of these people have all kinds of books just sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.
In addition, many of these individuals want to get rid of their unwanted books, so they post these freebies on various classified ad services like Craigslist.
So let’s take a gander at a few of these types of services.
FreeCycle
This is one of the more popular free book strategies, especially if you’re into a wide variety of topics.
FreeCycle is basically a free classified ad service that lets people post free stuff that they want to give away.
If you see an ad giving away one or more free books, then you simply click the “see details” link and then follow the directions in order to get the free stuff.
With all of the books available, you should still be able to find something that interests you if you look long and hard enough.
Now if you have certain books that you are looking for, then you can post your own ad that states that you are looking for specific titles.
You may get some really great results, but don’t expect any miracles.
As you probably guessed, really awesome freebies go pretty fast.
So if you would like to see if you can get some free books, then you will probably want to check out this amazing website right away.
Craigslist
Like FreeCycle, Craigslist also has a fairly decent free section, which might include listings of free books every once in a while.
However, if you’re going to consider this handy option, you need to keep a couple of things in mind.
First of all, you should realize that many of the good book offers will probably go quickly.
Sometimes in as little as one minute.
This is because of all the people who often flip free items on Craigslist.
Secondly, if you’re able to find a free item, you might have to pick it up by visiting the location if the individual giving the item away will not mail it to you.
5. Free Coloring Books for Kids and Adults
The next way to get free books sent to you in the mail is to request one or more of the free art books available online.
These books help you and your children to be more artistic and creative.
These offers are available to families and individuals all over the world.
Natural Inquirer Coloring Book
The Natural Inquirer offers kids in first grade, second grade, and kindergarten a free 16 page coloring book.
This beautiful coloring book was produced by the Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association (CFAIA) in an exclusive partnership with the Forest Service.
While this coloring book is often not available due to extremely high demand, you should keep checking back with them.
However, if you’re impatient, then you may want to consider downloading the PDF version for absolutely no charge at all.
Free Adult Coloring Book
Visitors to ThatDailyDeal can immediately sign up for a random adult coloring book for no charge.
Unfortunately, the site does state that you have to provide your credit card number.
However, the site claims that you card will not be charged or its number stored for any reason whatsoever.
If you are still worried about your online financial security, you should see if you can obtain a virtual credit card number for your credit card account.
There is a limit of one coloring book per household.
You should allow up to eight weeks for delivery of the item.
6. Free Recipe Books
The next method on our list of the best ways to get free books by mail is to request free recipe books.
Who doesn’t like to try out new ideas in the kitchen?
So if you love to travel on new culinary adventures, then take a look at some of these free offers.
“JIFFY” Mix Recipe Book
The “JIFFY” Mix Recipe Book is yours for free if you go to their website and fill out the form.
You can get the electronic version if you’d like to have this sort of format instead.
Sun-Maid Recipe Booklet
If you love raisins, then you may want to have access to this phenomenal selection of tasty recipes that use this yummy ingredient.
Sun-Maid will mail you this free recipe booklet if you fill out the correct form.
After that, just sit back and wait for your package in the mail.
Pel-Freez Recipe Book
Fill out the online form if you want to request a free book entitled, Rabbit, an International Delicacy.
This book was created by Pel-Freez, which is America’s largest producer of domestic rabbit.
This offer is only available in the United States.
Quiet Gut Cookbook
This next offer features a cookbook that features over a hundred easy-to-prepare health-conscious recipes.
These recipes are designed to provide tasty meals that are easy on your digestive system.
This book contains detailed guidelines and pictures.
7. Free Religious Books
The next way to get free books by mail is to request religious texts.
Some people care nothing for religion.
However, there are some people who do.
So if you are one of those individuals who is interested in reading literature that focuses on these sorts of things, then you might want to check out some of these free offers.
Bibles for America
This organization will send you a free Bible if you fill out the online form on their website.
This option is completely free and doesn’t require your credit card number.
The only catch is that they ask that you order only for yourself and not on the behalf of other people.
The website also offers a wide variety of Christian eBooks about a large range of subjects.
Bibles4free
This website is a ministry of The United States Bible Society, Inc.
It is another place where you can request that a free Bible be delivered to your home.
Just visit their website and fill out all of the information on the online form.
Free Book of Mormon
You can request a free Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Simply follow the instructions on their official website and you will receive a Book of Mormon for no charge at all.
The website also has a one minute video explaining some of the basic elements found within this book.
The Mormon Church does ask that you limit your request to one book per household.
Religious Books About Prophecy and Miracles
Do you have questions about the unexplained phenomena in our world?
Are you interested in prophetic revelations?
If you are, then some of these free printed texts might interest you.
So let’s take a look at a few of these kinds of offers.
Free Rosary Guide Booklet
If you are interested in religious miracles, then you will more than likely be interested in receiving this free Rosary Guide Booklet from America Needs Fatima.
In order to request a free “Rosary Guide Booklet,” merely fill out the online form.
The creators of this booklet run a campaign that is attempting to capture the heart of the United States with the Message of Our Lady of Fatima.
This offer is only available in the U.S.
Free Printed Guide About the Book of Revelation
This book claims that you can comprehend the enigmatic book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible.
Many people find the strange symbols and images puzzling and full of mystery.
However, this tome claims that you can understand many of the subtle allegories and nuances of this ancient text.
If you have trouble making any sense out of the book of Revelation, then may want to consider asking for a free copy of The Book of Revelation Unveiled.
This interesting study aid will take you through all of the major themes of the most enigmatic text in the Bible.
It does this so you can more easily understand what the Lord revealed to John of Patmos.
The creators of the book even claim that you can discover future prophecies by reading this text.
Free Christian Books From the New Life Mission
The New Life Mission works to spread the Gospel all over the globe through literature.
Right now, it is giving away copies of Paul C. Jong’s Christian Book Series for free to every individual who requests them.
If like this offer, then browse through all of the material on their website and request any of the free books available.
You are limited to requesting one copy of each title.
You can only order two titles at once.
If you live in Africa, then you can only submit one request.
Sometimes they are unable to send more than one book to places other than Africa.
Hercolubus or Red Planet
Would you like a book with detailed information about certain metaphysical subjects?
If so, then complete the online form to get yourself a free copy of the book entitled, Hercolubus or Red Planet.
This book is about prophecies, astral projection, Earth changes, and the spiritual development of the human species.
This interesting book was created by the Alcione Association and is available all over the world.
Free Messianic Prophecy Bible
Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the chosen messiah of mankind.
The Messianic Prophecy Bible explains some of their beliefs.
It will be mailed to you for free if you request it.
The creators of this book claim that it is based on the most ancient Hebrew manuscripts.
They also assert that it will reveal many mistakes that are now present in the English Bible.
Most importantly, however, the authors claim that this text will prove that Jesus is the promised messiah.
8. Free Braille Books
This program is operated by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults.
It will mail braille books to your home throughout the year.
To enroll in this program, all you need to do is fill out the online application.
You can also get involved with his amazing opportunity by calling (410) 659-9315, extension 2287.
The person on the line will ask if you want to sign up for the program, or if you have any questions.
9. Free Gardening Catalogs
Are you one of those individuals who has a green thumb?
Do you like to grow flowers, plants, vegetables, or fruit?
If you are interested in these sorts of things, then you probably know that you need a lot information about several different fields of knowledge in order to have an awesome looking garden or flower bed.
If you are either an amateur or professional horticulturalist, then you will most definitely want to take a peek at some of these free offers.
Free Garden Seed Catalogs From Almanac.com
This website features a massive list containing over 40 different companies that offer free seed catalogs.
Most of these seed companies offer heirloom, hybrid open-pollinated, and non-GMO seeds.
You can get either an online or a print version of these resources.
Garden Myths
This website features a list of free gardening books.
Many of them are electronic downloads, but some of them are available as printed texts.
These resources cover a wide array of gardening topics, such as germination, pollination, watering, and plant nutrition.
10. Travel Guides
Maybe you are someone who loves to travel all over the country, or maybe even all over the globe.
If this describes you, then you will most definitely be interested in these free travel resources.
The organizations that provide these resources will also cover all of the shipping costs as well.
With the aid of these guides and others like them, you can find the most affordable vacation spots to visit.
Free Vacation Brochures
This service has all sorts of free materials including brochures, maps, and planning kits.
If you want a free travel guide, you merely select the location that you want and then enter your information online.
They will then send you a confirmation email and mail you all of the items that you have requested.
Travel Guides for All Fifty States
At Freebie-Depot, you have access to a complete list of travel guides.
There are travel brochures available for all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Many of the states will even send you a free map as well.
One of the great things about these free offers is that these resources will help you find many exciting things to do when ever you visit any of your favorite vacation destinations.
In addition, these guides and maps are perfect for educational purposes, including scrapbooks as well as many other kinds of creative learning projects.
Popular Destination Guides
Ofree.net is another website that offers free travel brochures and guides.
This amazing resource lists many travel resources from places all over the globe, including Europe, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
They also have many guides about many of the popular travel destinations in the U.S.
There are quite a few free offers here, so it may take you a while to browse through all of the different items that are available.
Just enter your information and submit the proper online forms in order to get your free travel resources sent directly to your home.
11. Government Books
There are a few government services that publish and distribute printed resources.
There are also a few private organizations that publish books about government topics.
If this sort of thing sounds interesting, then take a quick look and some of the following free offers.
National Resources Conservation Service
This worthy organization focuses on farms, soil, and environmental topics.
On their website, you can order many different kinds of printed books and brochures.
National Institute of Drug Abuse
This organization helps individuals understand the hazards and treatments of drug abuse.
If you know of anyone who might be interested in such literature, or if you are interested yourself, then visit their website and ask that one or more of their publications be sent to you by mail.
Pocket Constitution
If you want to be fully aware about all of the contents that are found in one of the most important documents in U.S. history, then order a pocket constitution.
This amazing free resource is available from Hillsdale College.
It is a handy little booklet that will easily fit inside your purse or pocket.
All you need to do to receive this treasure is simply visit the institution’s website and fill out the online form.
12. Your Local Library
Some libraries will send you free books by mail.
The libraries that sponsor these programs will send you all of the books that you request right to your home.
This often includes many of the same exact books that you would get if you were actually visiting the library in person.
Depending on your local library, you may have to meet certain requirements in order to qualify for these sorts of opportunities.
All you need to do is search online to see if your local library has such a program.
If you library does have this type of opportunity, and you wish to take part, then follow the directions on your local library’s website in order to sign up.
Libraries that do offer this method of book lending will pay for all of the postage costs.
Final Thoughts About the Best Ways to Get Free Books by Mail
Because there are so many wonderful programs out there, you could spend years trying to take advantage of them all.
That is why we certainly hope that you will participate in at least a few of these spectacular opportunities.
By doing this, you will be able to read many more awesome books from the comfort of your sofa.
So go ahead and check out some of these fine opportunities and see if they might have something you want.
Hopefully, you will find lots of excellent offers that will suit all of your many needs.
